V 
10 5 -Of the frefit V/aier Polyps. 
after it had been well fed, and always obferved their mo¬ 
tions very attentively, in order to difcover if nothing 
palled between them analogous to copulation in other 
animals ; but could never find any thing like it. 
He then put feveral polypes of the fecond fort by them- 
felves, that he might be very fare they had never fince 
their reparation any communication with other polypes ; 
and took none for thefe experiments but thofe which he 
feparated from the mothers himfelf; or thofe which be¬ 
ing feparated of themfelves, were taken out of the glafs 
in which their mothers were, before any other young one 
could be feparated, with which it might have been pof- 
fibly coupled ; yet notwithstanding all thefe precautions 
of caufing thefe polypes to live in a perfect folitude, they 
all multiplied, eat, and continued to produce young ones, 
more and more in proportion as they were fed. 
Not only thefe which he fir ft put alone have multi¬ 
plied, but alfo many of their defcendants have alfo been 
put by themfelves, from generation to generation, even 
to the feventh, with the fame precautions. Whence it 
appears that copulation is in no wife neceflary to the 
production of a polype. 
Mr. Trembley hath alfo made an experiment to prove, 
.that a young polype had in itfelf the principles of fe¬ 
cundity, before it could be thought to receive it from 
its mother, or any other polype: for on cutting off a 
young one which only began to {hoot, and at that time 
was only like a little button, as e, fig. 387. it is feen 
alone and of its natural fize after it was cut off, at fig. 
394. and as it appeared in the microfcope at fig. 395. it 
was put into a glafs by itfelf, and gradually increafed, 
had arms, and at laft multiplied. 
It is therefore very plain, that a young polype, after 
being feparated from its mother, does not want the com¬ 
pany of another polype to multiply. 
And 
